Luminant Responds to Final EPA Rule on GHG

DALLAS – As we did when the proposed rule was released, Luminant will extensively review the Environmental Protection Agency’s final Section 111 (d) rule before commenting in detail.

We’ll be looking closely to determine if the EPA truly listened and fundamentally restructured this final rule from the proposed rule, which was unlawful, unworkable and unfair to Texas.

The final rule, to be workable, must respect Texas’ unique intrastate electricity sector and dynamic competitive market. The proposed rule did not account for these factors, with its huge cost increase for consumers, unrealistic dispatch of coal to natural gas and mandate for a massive build out of renewables — without crediting Texas for its significant and nation-wide leading investments in renewables to date — that would threaten reliability.

With the record demand for July we saw last week, we again are reminded why Texas and its growing economy must continue to be served by the diverse mix of energy that’s proven to be dependable — coal, natural gas, nuclear and renewables.

We look forward to examining the final rule to determine if it exceeds the confines of the Clean Air Act and whether, like the proposed rule, it inflicts severe impact on the affordable, reliable power sector driven by market forces that serves Texas so well.